The presidents of the United States, Donald Trump, and of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, met briefly this Friday during the World Cup 2026 draw ceremony in Washington, marking the first time the two leaders have met in person. Trump, Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the leaders of the three host countries for the sporting event, took the stage and stood on separate podiums to draw the first balls for the draw. The Mexican president celebrated that her country will make history by becoming the only nation to host three editions of the FIFA World Cup. "We are proud, proud to receive the World Cup for the third time. Mexico is an extraordinary, beautiful, magical country, and millions will visit our nation," Sheinbaum said at the start of the event. She also recalled that Mexicans "enjoy the ball game since ancestral times," in reference to the sport of the pre-Columbian peoples of Mesoamerica. Trump, for his part, said his first memories of soccer are from when he was young and remembers seeing Brazilian Pelé play, "one of the greats." The U.S. leader congratulated FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the organization of the tournament and celebrated that they have "broken records" with ticket sales, long before the tournament begins. The three leaders of North America met for the first time in the same space at the ceremony, after which they are expected to hold brief bilateral meetings, although the possibility of a tripartite conversation has not been ruled out. Upon arriving at the ceremony's red carpet, Trump had already indicated that he expected to meet with Sheinbaum and Carney, with whom he said he gets along "very well." "We have a meeting scheduled for some time after the event. We will talk today," he said.
